When Two Worlds Collide
by Missa Belle
Summary: Skyler Samuels and Colton Haynes make a beautiful couple, so I thought I'd write a Chloe/Kai  Chlai?  fic. Picks up after the finale.
1. An Old Friend

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the characters.

*Story is set after the season 1 finale.

* * *

><p><span>Two Worlds Collide<span>

Chapter 1: An Old Friend

Brian was dead. Valentina was dead. Jasmine was recovering from a near-fatal knife wound, but her chances of survival were slim. Alek was nowhere to be found. Everything ran through Chloe's head as she sat on BART. She had to get out of town. It didn't really matter where she went, but she knew she couldn't stay in the city any longer.

She put her finger through the bullet holes in her shirt and hoped no one would ask her to explain the dried blood. The memories of the night were a blur, but she was sure of one thing. Brian was dead, and she had killed him.

Like a bastardized tale of Romeo and Juliet, Brian had kissed the lifeless girl in his arms just in time to see her open her eyes. Her lips were poison to him, and moments later he was gone. Poor Juliet couldn't kill herself. She would only keep coming back to life.

Chloe tried to fight back the tears, and clutched her bag closer to her. She had climbed through her own window last night and shoved some clothes in a backpack. Her mom would have woken up by now and found the note taped to Chloe's door. _Broke up with Alek. Need some girl time. Be at Amy's for the weekend. Love you, no implieds. _By the time Meredith realized she needed to look for her daughter, Chloe wouldn't be anywhere near San Francisco.

Which direction was she heading? She couldn't even remember which train she'd gotten on. If she'd been smart, she would have gone straight to the Oakland airport and caught the first flight out. Suddenly she felt something rising from the pit of her stomach.

The doors opened and the conductor called out, "MacArthur station."

She jumped out, ran toward the trash can and heaved.

This was a good station to be at. She could definitely get to the airport from here, but first she needed something to eat. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she left the station and headed onto Telegraph Avenue.

She had never been in this part of Oakland. In fact, even though Oakland was right next to San Francisco, she had hardly been there at all. Meredith didn't think it was safe, but Chloe could protect herself. Besides, she still had seven lives left.

"Chloe?" came a voice from behind her.

She spun around, terrified. She knew she should have gotten back on the train.

"Kai?" she blurted out. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. It's not safe for you here."

She shook her head, still trying not to cry. "It's not safe for me anywhere."

Kai noticed the blood on her shirt. He moved in closer to her and grabbed her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

His touch was warm, and Chloe wanted to sink into his arms and let herself sob. She remembered their last encounter and what Kai's father had done to Alek. Kai had led them to a bloodbath. He was a Jackal, a sworn enemy of the Mai. Chloe wrenched her arm loose.

"Chloe, I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. "My family isn't here. I left them after what they did to you. I don't want to be like them. You helped me when I needed it. Now let me help you."

She looked at his face and let her pupils turn into slits. He was telling the truth; he wanted to help her.

"Is there someplace we can go?" she asked.

"I live a few blocks away," he told her. "We'll go there."

He grabbed her bag and put his arm around her.

Kai lived in a studio apartment that was in desperate need of a paint job and a thorough cleaning, but Chloe felt safer now that she was off of the street. He opened the fridge, pulled out a carton of milk and sniffed it. He promptly tossed it in the trash.

"Can I get you some, uh, water," he asked her. "I'll have to go the store to get some milk. I mean, Mai _like _milk right?"

For the first time since the day before, Chloe let out a small chuckle.

"I don't know," she giggled. "Do Jackals like kibble."

Kai handed poured a glass of water out of the filtered pitcher in his fridge and handed it to Chloe.

"I hate to ask," she said, "but do you have anything to eat? I'm starving."

Kai laughed and handed her a box of Chinese food and a fork.

"It's chicken chow mein," he stated, "and it's fresh I swear. I ordered it last night."

Chloe shoveled the noodles into her mouth, barely stopping to breath, and occasionally taking a swig of water. She remembered when she had taken Kai off the streets and watched him devour Chinese food in much the same way. It was strange the way life could turn around so quickly.

"Feel better?" Kai asked when she was done.

She did. She felt _much_ better.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked.

And then she felt worse. How could she explain it to him? Jackals hated the Mai. What would he do when he found out she had killed a human? She burst into tears, and suddenly found herself in Kai's arms.

"Shh," he comforted her. "It's going to be okay Chloe. Whatever happens, we're going to get through this."

* * *

><p>Let me know what you think. Working on chapter 2 now.<p> 


	2. An Ancient Rivalry

Thank you to everyone who added this to their favorites and story alerts. As a struggling artist, it's always wonderful to hear positive feedback. As promised, the next installment:

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: An Ancient Rivalry<p>

"We?" Chloe asked, looking into his eyes.

He understood what she meant. They were supposed to be sworn enemies not embracing each other on his bed. Kai didn't know why he felt drawn to Chloe, but he couldn't pull away. He didn't let go of her.

"Just tell me what happened."

So Chloe told him. She told him about getting shot and coming back to life just in time to realize Brian had kissed her. She told him how she had held Brian in her arms for what seemed like hours before Amy and Paul rushed in and told her she needed to get out of there. Then she ran to Jasmine's apartment only to find Valentina dead and Jasmine unconscious. She had tried to call Alek a hundred times. Luckily a Mai soldier showed up and whisked Jasmine off to a Mai doctor. Chloe sneaked off to her own house, grabbed a bag full of clothes and other randoms and hopped on the first train out of the city.

She was crying so hard by the time she finished, Kai couldn't hear the part about her puking at the BART station. He pressed his cheek to her forehead and cradled her in his arms.

"I have to get out of town, Kai," she sobbed. "I have to disappear."

"I'm pretty good at disappearing," he told her. "Whatever you decide to do, I'm going with you."

"I can't ask you to do that," she refused. "It's too dangerous."

He gave her a sly smile. "I think I can handle a little bit of danger."

"I'm serious, Kai," she whined. "I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt."

"Chloe. You're not the only one with superhuman powers. Besides, I'm a lot stronger than you. I'm not about to let a sixteen-year-old Mai girl wander around by herself. I can get us out of Oakland, out of the Bay Area, if that's what you want. But I'm not leaving your side; I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Chloe couldn't understand why he was being so nice to her. All she could focus on was the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her body. She knew she shouldn't be able to feel this way about a Jackal. Alek hated her attraction to a human; what would he say if he knew who she was with just then.

"Why do our people hate each other?" she asked softly.

"If I could answer that," he responded, shaking his head. "I don't know. Jealousy I guess. The Mai and the Jackals were both revered in Ancient Egypt. We're descendants of the gods, and neither one of our races wanted to share the glory. We fought against each other, and before we knew it, the humans rejected both of us."

"I don't hate you," she admitted. "I know I'm supposed to, but I can't."

"I could never hate you either Chloe King."

She slowly slid out of his arms and said, "Our ancestors were really stupid."

As she pulled away, Kai saw the blood stain on her shirt again. He grabbed a t-shirt out of one of his drawers and held it up to her.

"Here, you can change into this if you want," he offered. "You might draw less attention to yourself if you're not covered in blood."

She smiled at him and reached for her bag.

"Actually, I've got a change of clothes."

They turned their backs to each other as Chloe stripped off her dirty clothes and slid into new ones. Like Chloe, Kai had supersensitive hearing. He could hear every rustle of her skin against the fabric while she pulled on her jeans. He couldn't help himself; he peaked his head over his shoulder. Her milky white skin looked smooth. His teenage hormones and animal instinct worked against him as he fought to turn his head back around and stay in his place.

"There," she finally said from behind him. "You can turn around now."

"You look nice," came spilling out of his mouth. "I mean—no. I mean you look nice."

"Do you have a mirror?" she asked.

"Yeah above the sink in the bathroom."

He motioned toward a door that was slightly ajar. She let herself in and shut the door behind her. There were mascara tear streaks down her cheeks and her eyes were puffy and red. Chloe ran her face under cold water and patted it dry with a hand towel she hoped was clean. Then she powdered her face and tried to make herself look presentable; she wasn't quite sure why.

When she finally came out, she found Kai stuffing clothes into a bag of his own.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I can keep you hidden here for as long as you want to stay," he explained, "but I want to be ready whenever you decide it's time to leave. After all, we both know you can't stay here forever."

"I was thinking about heading to the airport," she admitted.

"How are you going to pay for a plane ticket?"

"I hadn't really thought about that."

"We can take BART to the Greyhound station," he suggested.

"Wow, you really know your way around," she told him.

"I was raised to know how to take care of myself. Sometimes that included being able to get places on my own."

He finished packing and held up his bag.

"It's up to you Chloe. We can leave now, or we can stay right here. Just tell me when you're ready to go."

He was going to take care of her, Chloe realized. No matter how scared she felt, she wasn't alone. She felt her body relax and exhaustion wash over her.

"All I really want to do right now is sleep."

Kai nodded.

"Feel free," he said. "Why don't you get some rest while I go out and get a few things we'll need to travel. I'll lock the door behind me. No one will find you here. Just promise me one thing, Chloe."

"What's that?"

He looked into her eyes and pleaded, "Just be here when I get back."

"I won't go anywhere."

* * *

><p>Chapter 3 to come. Where will Chloe and Kai end up? Leave some reviews and let me know what you all think! :)<p>

Also, I'm going to try to make it a habit of posting on Thursdays. School just started back up again, and my life is hectic. But I'm pretty free on Thursdays. See you all again next week.


	3. Like a Kitten

Hello to my wonderful readers! Here's the next installment of Chloe/Kai.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Like a Kitten<p>

When Chloe woke up several hours later, she kept her eyes shut tight. Maybe when she opened them, she would be lying in her own bed and everything would be back to normal. Brian would still be alive, and Jasmine would be fine. Her pillow was lumpier than usual, and her sheets scratchier. The room smelled like must and guy's deodorant. She was definitely not at her mother's house. Suddenly she became very aware of the body lying next to her.

"Kai?" she whispered as she lifted her lashes.

"You're awake," he said. He smiled.

"Were you watching me sleep?"

The smile faded from his face. He hadn't had a lot of interaction with girls, and Jackal girls weren't anything like Chloe.

"Umm, not for very long," he confessed. "You just looked so—so peaceful. Like a kitten."

A small laugh escaped her lips.

"Thanks for letting me stay here," she told him for what felt like the hundredth time, "but I should probably get going."

Kai frowned.

"What?" she asked.

He held up a handful of brand new DVDs.

"I picked these up while I was out," he explained. "I thought we could order a pizza and watch some movies."

A smile lit up Chloe's face, and Kai's immediately mirrored hers.

"I don't know if the movies are any good," he admitted. "I don't really watch a lot of movies, but these ones looked popular."

"That's really sweet," she said softly. "It's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me."

That's how she found herself lying in bed with a Jackal, their faces only inches apart. She bit her lip as he slid his hand onto her waist and pulled her closer.

"Wait," she stopped him. She could barely speak let alone breathe. "The curse."

Chloe had already killed one innocent boy in the last twenty-four hours. She wasn't going to risk killing another.

Kai furrowed his brow.

"Mai can't kiss humans," she said slowly. "It's deadly."

"I'm not human," was all he answered.

"I'm not going to risk it your life."

"I thought we'd been over this today, Chloe. You put your life in danger for me, and I am more than willing to do the same for me."

"This is different Kai," she pouted, pushing him away. "If you die, I have nothing left."

He pulled her back into his arms and pressed his lips into her hair.

"If that's how you feel, Chloe, then don't worry. I'll call for pizza."

"Wait," she said before he could get up. "This is nice. Can we just lie here for a few more minutes?"

"For as long as you want," he answered.

The minutes passed, and pretty soon the sky grew dark outside.

"Okay," Chloe finally said. "I think I'm ready for pizza."

"Is meat lover's okay?"

"Sounds amazing."

The pizza was as amazing as Chloe thought it would be, but the first movie they put in was cheesier than the pizza. For the few amounts of movies he had watched, even Kai knew it was bad. They spent the whole time pointing out bad sound effects and obvious green screens. By the time they got to the second movie, Kai had his arm wrapped decidedly around Chloe. It was a romantic comedy.

Every time the happy couple kissed, Chloe couldn't help but think about kissing Kai. How could she have moved on from Brian so quickly? It had only been hours since he told her he loved her, and she watched him die. The guilt rose up in the pit of her stomach, and she worried she was going to be sick again. All the muscles in her body tightened.

Kai paused the movie.

"You're not happy," he stated.

"I killed one of my best friends," she replied. "I killed the boy I was in love with."

It hurt Kai to hear it, but he understood.

"It's not your fault," he tried to convince her. "You did everything you could to save him, but _he _kissed _you_."

"He's still dead because of me. And what did I do? I ran away instead of facing the consequences. I should have called his dad. I should have…"

"You should have gone to your pride leader," he informed her, "which is exactly what you did."

He was right; she had gone to Valentina. She had found Valentina dead.

"We have to get out of Oakland," she told him. "I have to go. Tonight."

It was that simple. Chloe grabbed her bag and Kai grabbed his. He pulled a beanie over his hair and pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt. He told Chloe to do the same. In less than twenty minutes, they were out the door and back on BART.

"Two tickets for," Kai told the man at the ticket counter. Then he turned to Chloe. "North or south?"

Chloe had no idea.

"North," she finally decided.

"When does the next bus north leave?" Kai asked the man.

"Are you running from the cops? You look a little young to be at a Greyhound station in the middle of the night," the ticket agent told them.

"It's my dad," Chloe lied. After all, thinking her dad had been alive had been a lie this whole time. "He's sick, and I have to get to the hospital to see him. My aunt said she'd pick us up at the Greyhound station."

"In what town?" the agent asked again.

Chloe didn't know.

"Sacramento," Kai answered for her. "We just need to get north as fast as possible."

"The next bus for Sacramento leaves at 1:30."

Kai paid for the tickets and led Chloe over to a row of empty seats. She dug into her purse to repay him.

"Keep your money," he told her.

"I don't understand where you're getting all this cash from."

"Odd jobs around Oakland. Like I said, I can take care of myself."

He put his arm back around her even though the plastic arm rest between them dug into his side.

"We can't stay in Sacramento long," he declared. "The Mai have San Francisco. The Jackals have Sacramento. The place will be swarming with them. They'll smell you the moment we get in. But don't worry, I won't let them anywhere near you."

* * *

><p>Well I was only intending for it to be 3 chapters, but I can't stop writing. More soonsies. I promise.<p> 


	4. The Smell of Fear

Chapter 4: The Smell of Fear

The ride went by fairly quick. Chloe spent it curled up on Kai's lap, trying to catch up on as much sleep as she could. Kai slept in ten minutes intervals. When he woke up, he would run his fingers over the beanie covering Chloe's beautiful blond hair. He thought her hair smelled like cucumbers and not even a little bit like the other Mai he had encountered. Unfortunately he didn't think the other Jackals would think that and hoped the smell of his hat would cover it up.

It was three in the morning when the bus finally rolled into Sacramento. Kai hadn't planned this all the way through. How were they going to get a hotel at three in the morning? He would have to take Chloe to the worst parts of town where the hotels catered to prostitutes and drug addicts. Those weren't the people he was worried about, however. Places like that were also known for attracting Jackals.

"Chloe," he whispered with his lips touching her ear. "Wake up; we're here."

She barely stirred at first, desperate for more sleep. Kai considered carrying her. Even with both of their bags, it wouldn't be heavy load. He was just about to lift her up when she opened her eyes.

Chloe had been to Sacramento a few times before on field trips and to visit one of her mom's friends from college. But she had never been in this part of town at three in the morning. She slung her backpack off one shoulder and clung tightly to Kai.

"Don't be afraid," Kai whispered as they walked out of the station. "Jackals can smell fear."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," she quietly screeched.

"Oh," he realized, "sorry."

Both teens had their noses in the air searching for trace scents of Jackal. Chloe remembered the stench from her encounter with Kai's family.

"Can you smell anything?" she asked her companion.

"Just heroin," he answered.

Chloe knew he had intended to make her feel better, but it hadn't worked. She was sixteen; she should have been at the movies with her friends not hiding from the descendants of Anubis in filthy alleys.

The scent hit both of them at the same time. Jackals. At least five of them. Kai stepped in front of Chloe and bared his fangs.

"What are you doing out so late, boy," one of the men called out. The grown Jackal put his nose up and sniffed. "And what have you got with you?"

The five of them came into sight. Kai slipped off his backpack.

"A Jackal protecting a Mai?" another one said. "Or have you just brought us dinner."

"Don't touch her," Kai roared.

The men were getting closer. Kai knew he wouldn't be able to fight off all of them. He had to come up with a lie—quickly.

"We're just passing through," he told them. "I picked this one up lurking outside San Francisco. I have to bring her… it to my father. It knows the location to the rest of the Mai. We're planning an attack."

"Give her here, boy," the first one called out again. "We'll make her talk."

"I don't think so," Kai stated.

One of the smaller ones who hadn't said anything leaped out at Kai and Chloe. Kai caught him and threw him up against the wall.

"I said," Kai growled, "this one is _mine_."

Two more came toward at him. Kai was strong, though, and he defended himself easily. All that were left were the two in front that had spoken to him. They were larger than the others. One was even larger than Kai.

"You take the one on the left," came a whisper from Chloe behind him. "I'll get the one on the right."

"Chloe, no!" he tried to stop her, but she had already sprung out at one of them, claws out, and knocked him to the ground.

The larger one ran toward Kai; the boy ducked just in time. He kicked out his leg and caught the man in the back, sending him tumbling over.

Kai picked up both their backpacks and yelled, "Chloe, run!"

Hand in hand they fled, leaping over fences and onto roofs. They ran and kept running, neither of them coming up short of breath. When they finally stopped, Kai wrapped Chloe in his arms. The two of them stood there, terrified but together.

"I'm so sorry Chloe," he muttered. "I shouldn't have taken you here. I should have known it was too dangerous."

Hot tears were running down his face.

"Kai, it's okay. I'm okay."

She wiped the tears from his cheeks and wanted nothing more than to reach up and kiss him. If Kai hadn't pointed out a hotel in the distance that looked open right then, she just might have. Instead, she laced her fingers through his and took off for the hotel.

Chloe King made a promise to herself at that moment: she would never again be responsible for the death of someone she loved. As long as she still had seven lives left, she would die to protect Kai.

* * *

><p>Thanks everyone for reading. Don't forget to review (I like to hear what you all have to say.) Hopefully chapter 5 will be up next Thursday. Busy busy with homework.<p> 


	5. Happy Birthday

Hey all, sorry this post is so late in the day. I've been super busy. Hope you like the treat at the end!

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Happy Birthday<p>

"Are we safe here?" Chloe asked, remembering to pull the cap over her hair.

She and Kai had been traveling for a week, staying in each town never longer than one night, and sometimes doubling back in case they were followed. There had been no more encounters with Jackals and luckily none with Mai either. Chloe was certain they would think she had been kidnapped and kill Kai. She had grown accustomed to her companion over the week and was beginning to feel like they belonged together, but she knew there would never be a world where a Jackal and a Mai could live together in peace.

"Not yet," Kai answered turning his head in either direction to see if the coast was clear. "We have to get into Oregon. There is an Amber Alert out for you. Once we get across state lines, there won't be so many people looking for you. The best thing would be to get to Idaho."

Chloe thought about her mom. She had once asked Meredith what she would do if Chloe just didn't come home one day, and she had seen how much pain Frank was in when his daughter, Vanessa, ran away. Meredith must have been terrified. The only reason Chloe wasn't terrified was because Kai had a firm grip on her hand. That was the only way the traveled now.

"Kai," she started, "I'm so sorry I got you into this mess."

He stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her.

With his arms around her torso, he said, "You have got to stop apologizing. I _want_ to be here Chloe. I _want _to be with you."

"I just wish I could be with you without having to be on the run all the time."

"I wish you would let me kiss you," he told her. She could see his heart breaking.

Chloe looked down at her shoes and kept walking. They found themselves at another Greyhound station; Chloe's face was taped up next to the ticket agent. Kai didn't want to let her go, but he knew she couldn't stand there with him. He watched her as she stood off in the distance with her head down, so no one could recognize her.

"How much to Boise?" Kai asked the agent.

"Two hundred."

Kai rolled his eyes and pulled out his wallet. He had run out of money days ago, but had been picking pockets since they left Sacramento. He didn't want to hand over four hundred dollars, but he didn't have a choice.

"I'll take two."

Apparently the agent didn't care why a teenager was carrying around four hundred dollars in cash. He gave Kai the tickets.

"Who's that girl you're with?" the agent asked.

"Oh her?" Kai looked over at Chloe, still staring at her feet. "That's my cousin Martha. She's got a red birthmark over her eye, and she doesn't like meeting strangers. She was in town for our second cousin's wedding, but…"

The agent shut him up and asked him to move along.

Ever since Kai and Chloe first realized the entire state of California was looking for her, Kai had started coming up with lies about who he was traveling with. She had become his sick sister, his shy cousin, or his annoying little brother when she was in baggy enough clothes.

The bus didn't leave until the next morning, so Kai sought out a cheap hotel. Chloe had gotten used to the style of living. They slept on busses most of the time, so a dirty hotel room became a real treat. She would have given up and gone home, but she enjoyed every minute she spent with Kai.

"I need a shower," she said as she pulled her hair out of the cap.

"I don't suppose you need company?" he suggested with a mischievous grin.

She threw the cap in his face, and left a pile of dirty clothes outside the bathroom.

Kai had volunteered to take their clothes to a Laundromat down the street. When he returned, Chloe was sitting in bed, wrapped in a towel, and watching TV.

"Bad news," he told her with a bag full of clean laundry in hand, "the dryer actually caught on fire, so you don't have any clothes."

She glared at him until he tossed a pair of panties at her. He didn't exactly mind doing her laundry. As always, she made him face the other direction when she changed; as always, he peaked.

Before she turned back around, he was behind her with his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck.

"Kai," she whined. "Kai, we can't."

He turned her around to face him and bent his head down, so his lips were almost touching hers.

"No, Chloe," he stated. "We _can_. You _won't._"

They stood there for a few minutes just staring at each other. Finally Kai broke away in defeat and sat on the bed.

"I saw the date at the Laundromat," he told her. "Do you know what yesterday was?"

She shook her head.

"Yesterday was my birthday. I'm eighteen now."

Chloe's face lit up.

"Happy birthday," she cheered. "Why don't we order Thai food? Do you think they have Thai food in this town?"

"I don't want Thai food Chloe. You know what I want."

He pulled her onto the bed with him and pressed his lips against hers. It was ten seconds of absolute bliss. Chloe pushed him away.

"It's too late now," he smiled. "You might as well kiss me again."

So she did. She leaned into him and kissed him like she had wanted to do ever since they were in Oakland. It wasn't like when she had kissed Alek, or that poor boy Xavier from the club. It wasn't even like kissing Brian. Her heart pounded in her ears. Everything she had ever wanted was happening in that kiss.

* * *

><p>Will Kai survive the Chloe kiss of death? Or will he be just another boy that fell victim to her Mai charm? New chapter next week!<p> 


	6. Forbidden

Hey all! Sorry it took so long to get this up here! I was trying to graduate from college! (Woo hoo! I'm done!) Anyway, I HOPE to have the next chapter up for you by next Thursday. Thanks for staying tuned. And to everyone who has been commenting over the last nine months when it seemed like there was no hope for my return, thank you! Your comments always brighten my day. Here you are:

* * *

><p>Chloe remembered everything when she woke up the next morning. She remembered who she was lying next to—who she had fallen asleep next to just like she had for the past week. Most importantly, she remembered who she had fallen asleep kissing the night before.<p>

Her heart pounded in her throat, and she felt sick to her stomach. If Kai was dead—if she had killed Kai—there was nowhere left for her to go. She reached her hand across the bed, expecting to feel the heat of his bare chest on her palm. Instead she felt only the scratchy sheets of a cheap motel bed.

Trying to catch her breath, she shot straight up in bed. She was alone.

"Kai?" she screamed.

But he was not there. Her heart raced as she climbed out of bed. There was no sign of him other than his knapsack flung in the corner of the room, next to her own.

"Oh my God, what have I done?" Chloe cried. "Xavier and Brian and now Kai?"

The tears were pouring out of her eyes now. She knew she never should have let him kiss her. It had all happened so fast; she didn't have a chance to stop him. The only thing she couldn't understand was where his body was. Had he stumbled out of the room in desperate search for help in the middle of the night? Chloe pulled on a sweater and lunged for the door.

As she did so, the door swung open, revealing Kai holding a bag full of fast food.

She jumped on him the moment she saw him, sending the paper bag crashing to the floor. Within seconds her mouth was on his. Chloe hadn't killed him. The curse didn't work against Jackals, so she kissed him again and again until he lifted her off the ground and back onto the bed.

"Chloe," he managed to mumble as he stripped off the sweater.

"Kai," she answered.

"Chloe!" he screamed.

He pushed her away. She looked down at her hands—her claws. Kai had four long claw scratches across his chest.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," she gasped.

He clasped her hands in his own and kissed her again.

"It's okay Chloe," he told her. "Everything is going to be okay." He walked back over and picked up the paper bag from the floor. "I brought breakfast sandwiches. I thought you'd be hungry."

But Chloe couldn't hear what he was saying. All that mattered to her was that he was alive. If only she knew how to control her animal instincts.

"But if you don't want to eat breakfast, I can think of something else to do," he suggested.

"We have to leave for Idaho in a few hours," she responded, glancing toward the clock.

"I don't care if we ever leave this hotel room," he explained. "I will stay here forever with you if you want. I am going to stay with you forever."

They were pressed against each other again, heat radiating from their bodies.

"Forever isn't nearly long enough," she said.

"Eat your breakfast," he ordered, kissing her again. "I'm going to go out and buy a few more things. Be ready to go when I get back?"

She smiled and let him leave. With her back to the door, she pulled the breakfast out of the fast food sack and unwrapped it. The door swung open.

"That was fast," she giggled. "Come back for seconds?"

"You're alive!"

Chloe spun around, penetrated with fear.

"Alek?"


	7. Alive

Hey readers! I know I promised this would be up Thursday, but some holiday plans came up & I didn't have internet access for a few days. I even had the story all written and ready to go. Sorry loves! Better late than never?

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Alive<p>

Alek rushed to Chloe, wrapped her in his arms, and pressed his lips against hers so passionately, she couldn't bring herself to push him away. It was Alek who finally broke the kiss. He put his nose in the air and then buried it deep in Chloe's blonde locks.

"That smell!" he shrieked. He recognized Kai's scent or at least the scent of a Jackal. "Chloe, we need to leave, now, before they get back." Then he kissed her one more time and added, "I knew you were alive."

"No, Alek," she answered breathlessly, still wrapped in his arms. "I'm not going back with you. I'm not going back to San Francisco. I'm leaving California."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that you ran away?" he asked in a confused mixture of hurt and anger. He inched himself away from her, slowly taking her all in.

"I _had _to," she screamed at him, tears streaming down her face. "I killed Brian. I couldn't stay there."

She collapsed onto the bed, reaching for a pillow to bury her face in.

"But Chloe," he told her, "everyone thinks you're dead."

"What?" she answered. "But I left a note for my mom."

"They don't know when you left it, though," he told her. "The cops found bullets and your blood next to Brian's body."

It made Chloe cold the way he said it like that. _Brian's body_, not just _next to Brian_ because he wasn't Brian anymore; he was just a lifeless body, and she had made him that way.

"There was a lot of blood Chloe," Alek continued. "They said even if you had survived and been kidnapped, there was no way you could have survived the gunshot wound for more than 24 hours."

"But I _saw_ Amy and Paul." she protested.

But, of course, even though they knew she would survive it, they hadn't known she'd already encountered the gunshot wound. From their perspective, even if she wasn't bleeding to death, she could have still been kidnapped. Chloe had only wanted to run away, so no one else would get hurt. Now it seemed she had hurt everyone she cared about. She had been curled into the fetal position on the bed, but now she made herself sit up straight and face Alek.

"How's my mother?"

"How do you think?" Alek responded. "The police have pretty much guaranteed her that her only daughter is dead."

Chloe wished Alek would wrap her up in his arms again, but he showed her no sympathy. Instead, she curled up with her pillow onto the bed again.

"And you're supposed to be our Uniter," Alek spat, disgusted with the girl he had once been in love with.

"I never wanted that!" she screamed back up at him through her tears. "I never asked for any of that. It's not my fault."

"And Valentina never asked to die for you," he hissed at her, "but she did. And now Jasmine is lying in a hospital bed, barely holding on. I came here to bring you home, so you could lead our people, Chloe, and you throw it back in my face. I've spent weeks tracking you down, worried that you had been kidnapped, that someone was hurting you. And now I find you perfectly safe, ordering room service, and stinking like dog."

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I would love to give Jasmine the rest of my lives if I could. I would love to give up the title of Uniter to someone more deserving, but I can't Alek. I'm a sixteen-year-old girl; I don't want to be the protector of my people. I just want to be able to go out into public with my boyfriend without either of us being called race traitors."

Alek looked even more confused than he already had been.

"Your boyfriend is dead, Chloe," he muttered.

"Not Brian," she answered.

Suddenly, a voice from the door gave Alek the rest of the explanation.

"She's talking about me," Kai said.

Alek spun around on the offensive, ready to strike.

"This thing," he spat, "this _dog_ is your boyfriend now. You sure did move on fast. Tell me, mutt, did she tell you how she killed her last boyfriend?"

"Get out of here, Alek," Kai barked. "She's done fighting your fight for you."

Chloe moved to stand near Kai but Alek grabbed hold of her. She found herself standing between the two men.

"Let her go!" Kai yelled.

"She's coming home with me, to be with her own kind."

Alek yanked Chloe toward the door, but Kai was blocking the exit.


End file.
